Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-25
POINTS FOB SENATOR ROAR.
An Open Letter from william Lloyd Gar
risou-Can People Be Made Richer b.
Taxation?

Taxation?
Hon. George T. Hoar-Deer Sir: Az q
humble constituent, who rejoiced when
Massachusetts hoDored herself by placing
you in the Senate of the United States, |
take the liberty of addressing you in ref
ereuce TO the important political question
now pending. Bred in the principles TO
which the Republican parry will owe it's
immortality, and proud of its traditions,
[ recognize III you its worthy exponent.
And If, st times, your uttersnces seem
perplexipg and partisan, there are coca
sions when you rise to higher considers
tons, requiring independence and cour-
age characteristic Of q family whose ser
vices to the state and TO the country s-e
proud historical possessions. philan-
thropist by nature, with sympathies which
embrace the illegally DISTINGUISHED freed
msn Of the south, as well IS the outraged
Indian: alive to the cause of woman IN
her struggle for political rights, the friend
of temperance and social order, you
stand upon plane above the ordinary
otfice-holder. TIE humanity of your pub
lie appeals and the eIoquence and pathos
with which you have chsmpioned the IN
fortunate and doWntrcdden are familiar
to Massachusetts e.rs.
All the more ins plicsbie therefore is
your attitude upon The absorbing topic of
protection, which is now to divide the
country. A lover OF freedom you iden-
tify yourself with the oppFessors Of the
poor. A friend Of peace, who would
nail the day OF universal brotherhood,
you foster system that makes Ell mics
Of nations and cCmi els the bRrbarism Of
iron ela6Q SnrtG ha
desiguedly that you throw your influence
on the side Of monopoly and injustice.
Some grievous misunderstanding exists,
and that the reasons my be made plaIn
to US who have followed and horo.ed you
is the purpose of this letter Of honest
inquiry. Your campaign speeches during
the last four years, in which you incl
dentaily touch upon the question Of
REMOVING THE WAR TAXES,
abound in Strange utterances the moment
you approach the economic theme. In
stead Of the luminous snd convincing ar
rsy of facts and logic you are accustomed
to adduce, your speech glides into gen.
erslities, and your sarcasm excites 6
laugh in the unthinkipg, while 1t makes
the judicious grieve. 1t is the explains
ton which your speeches lsck that | So
liCit.
II cannot be matter of debate whether
the industrial development OF this coun-
try is due TO the tariff tax. Such is the
assumption OF the protecti0nlsts. On the
other hand, there are not wanting
intelligent students and observers
VINO decIsre that this same tsX has
been hindrance to iss healJhy growth.
As neither view Can be demonstrated by
facts, no argument upon matter OF
opinion can DE OF moment. But when
you join il the ever and Cfy-repeated as
ssrtlon that the tariff protects American
labor, and that with free trade the lsoOrer
would sink TO the level CT European
Workmen because OF dimiDished wages,
you assume grave responsibility, smaz-
ing to unbiased investigators, 81 variance
with experience and with al recogniZ4d
authorities upon the So ct. Ia behalf
of many who sre unable to see how
taxing poor people enriches them,
let NE ask you 30 c!eer awsy
some obstacles which hamper us.
We read and listen to your affirmation,
and ende.VOr 20 reconcile your theory
with the actual facts. II free trxde, Cr
the removal OK the tax from foreign pro-
ducts or manufac ures tends TO degrade
labor, no wonder thai Ii is abhOTEent TO
the public mind. To verify the truth Of
the proposition, we naturally look to
Great Britain, where the battle for CON-
meTcial freedom WAS fought and wen in
the memorable years from 1910 46. The
historians ali agree regarding the suffer-
ing and destitutiOn of the labUring classes
under protection. Miss Martineau's
graphic and narrowing picture OF their
distress is too familiar to need quotation.
The same fesrs that beset our politl-
clans now filed the minds Of legislators
In England then. The same arguments
and logic and prophecy prevailed. In
Parliament the Duke OF Richmond indig-
nautly asked whether the right honorable
gentleman at the head of the government
thought that the farmers and tailoTs snd
shoemakers would consent to foreign
articles coming in free Of duty? Lord
Ashburton admitted that free trade was o
beautiful hypothesis, but II
MUST RESULT IN PEREZ CT RUIN.
"Besides, the question was, after all,
one Of labor. The workman on the shores
of the Baltic, in Germany, w.s paid Elk
pence day, end the workman in England
two shiilings dag, and yet 1t WAS pro-
posed to benefit the latter by bringing
him into direct competition with the
former" Mr.. P. Miles, an authority on
trade subjects, said: "Eree trade means
this That all foreign nations are to have
the power of inundating our shores with
their products, but we shall have no cor
responding advantage in return. The
manufacturers Of this country will ind it
difficult to compete with foreigners IN
less they reduce wages"
Nevertheless, the duties were removed
and rome OF these predicted Calamities
followed. The wheels OF industry re-
volved anew, manufactures multiplied,
wages increased, opportunities fer en-
ployment wiGened, the foundation Of
chespness enriched the people, and the
il. paid Workmen % the Baltic could not
compete with the better paid. and there
fore cheaper, labor Of England. Pauper-
ism decreased ard crime diminished n
consequence Of tie new order CT things,
and the deposits in the savings b'nke
augmented wonderfully. Ard, better
than ell, the consumption Of the neces-
gsry articles OF food per c4pits Increased
remarkably. It il Justin Mccarthy who
assures US that "tney who were the un-
compromising opponents Of free trade al
that time sre proud to call themselves its
uncompromisiBg zeaIoTs now. Indeed,
there is no more chance CT reaction
against free trade IL E3gl4nd Ehan there
is chance CT a reaction Ag4ins. the rule
OF three"
Returning to our own country, we
study tie question Of wages here. We
do not seek tor theories but for facts